Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
At first Chen condemned Lien's trip, but later changed his attitude and gave his blessing to both Lien's travel plans and those of People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (
Both men uphold the "one China" principle and the so-called "1992 consensus." Both will receive high-profile receptions by their Chinese hosts. Behind all of this is Beijing's "united front" strategy, which aims at cozying up to the opposition parties, dividing Taiwan and forcing the government to accept "one China" and the alleged consensus.
On April 21, former president Lee Teng-hui (
Although both Lien and Soong are acting without explicit government authorization, Chen has given his blessing. This will give people in this country and abroad the wrong idea that Lien and Soong represent government opinion. The president had only just taken part in the March 26 protests against China's "Anti-Secession" Law when he turned around and gave this blessing. He said he hoped they would pave a new path for cross-strait relations. But what about the arms procurement bill, which continues to languish in the legislature? If the people of Taiwan care so little about their own defense, who will believe us in the future if China steps up its military threats?
Lien's visit could mislead the international community into believing that Taiwan is indifferent to the Anti-Secession Law and does not care about threats made against it. If Lien wants to call his trip a "journey of peace," he should inform Chinese President Hu Jintao (
Lien has said that resolution through negotiation should "respect what is real, what is actual and what is current." The reality is that the Republic of China is a sovereign and independent entity, each side of the Strait administers its territory separately and Taiwan's sovereignty is held in the hands of its 23 million people. China should take the first step by respecting this situation.
Dialogue between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party may be significant in historical terms. However, as long as Taiwan's political parties cannot agree on the basic principles of national sovereignty and policy toward China, then these two trips may turn out to be not a glorious beginning to better times, but the first step toward disaster.
The Chinese government on March 29 sent shock waves through the Tibetan Buddhist community by announcing the untimely death of one of its most revered spiritual figures, Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche. His sudden passing in Vietnam raised widespread suspicion and concern among his followers, who demanded an investigation. International human rights organization Human Rights Watch joined their call and urged a thorough investigation into his death, highlighting the potential involvement of the Chinese government. At just 56 years old, Rinpoche was influential not only as a spiritual leader, but also for his steadfast efforts to preserve and promote Tibetan identity and cultural
Former minister of culture Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) has long wielded influence through the power of words. Her articles once served as a moral compass for a society in transition. However, as her April 1 guest article in the New York Times, “The Clock Is Ticking for Taiwan,” makes all too clear, even celebrated prose can mislead when romanticism clouds political judgement. Lung crafts a narrative that is less an analysis of Taiwan’s geopolitical reality than an exercise in wistful nostalgia. As political scientists and international relations academics, we believe it is crucial to correct the misconceptions embedded in her article,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which